PAS irresponsible for using GST as campaign slogan

The action of PAS in using the issue of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as a campaign slogan in the Rompin parliamentary by-election is irresponsible.

Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the by-election Datuk Hasan Arifin said the implementation of GST was to transform Malaysia into a developed nation by 2020. "The slogan 'One vote for PAS, one vote reject GST' is an irresponsible connotation, and GST actually is a transition endeavoured by the government (to become a developed nation)," he told reporters after attending a ground-breaking ceremony for Dewan Semai Bakti at Felda Keratong 10 here, on Thursday.

The ceremony was opened by Felda chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad, and attended by Muadzam Shah State Assemblywoman Datuk Maznah Mazlan.

Hasan, who is also Rompin Umno Division acting head, also hoped voters in the parliamentary area would not be influenced by the slogan.

The by-election would be held following the death of incumbent Tan Sri Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis in a helicopter mishap in Semenyih, Selangor on April 4. There are 53,294 registered voters in the Rompin Parliament comprising normal voters (52,744), early voters (545) and absentee voters (five). The early voting is on April 30 while the polling day is on May 5.